


Only Just A Dream

by 7_Magpies



Series: Shyan Song Fics [2]
Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series), Watcher Entertainment RPF
Genre: Cuddling, First Kiss, Getting Together, Hurt and comfort, Idiots in Love, Love Confessions, M/M, Make Out Session, Nightmares, Nipple Play, Resolved Sexual Tension, Sharing a Bed, but like VERY MILD, song: “Sleep Baby Sleep” (Broods)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 07:35:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,277
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25709839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/7_Magpies/pseuds/7_Magpies
Summary: It takes a nightmare for Ryan and Shane to figure out where they’re supposed to be.This is a song fic based on “Sleep, Baby, Sleep” by Broods
Relationships: Shane Madej & Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej/Ryan Bergara
Series: Shyan Song Fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1857880
Comments: 6
Kudos: 112





	Only Just A Dream

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: This is fiction. The only truth to this is that Ryan has nightmares about Shane, which both of them have tweeted about.
> 
> This is a sequel to my work “Could’ve Been Fun” which I recommend reading before this.

_“Sleep, baby, sleep,_

_what are you waiting for?_

_The morning’s on its way_

_You know it’s only just a dream._

_Oh sleep, baby, sleep_

_I’ll lie next to you._

_The beauty of this mess_

_Is that it brings me close to you.”_

“Shane!”

Ryan sat up in bed, forehead damp with sweat and breathing heavily. Beside him, his girlfriend sat up wearily. “Ryan. I don’t think I can do this anymore. You’ve dreamt about him every night for weeks. Maybe this just isn’t going to work.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll stop, I just, it was a dream.”

“Ryan. Go home, ok?” There wasn’t anger in her voice. She knew when they started dating that he was distracted by someone else. “We’ll talk tomorrow.” 

Ryan nodded and got out of bed. He pulled out his phone to call an Uber, but hesitated on where to go. 

_I don’t want to be alone._

In an impulsive decision, Ryan put Shane’s address as his destination. 

A few minutes later, Ryan stood at the door to Shane’s apartment and knocked tentatively. 

_This is a bad idea._

They hadn’t spoken outside of work since the Fight, which Ryan always capitalized in his mind. How long had it been? A week? Two? Ryan just knew it was torture.

The door opened after just a moment, and Shane was a mess but Ryan didn’t care. All the fears Ryan had about going to his place faded when he heard his voice, heavy with sleep and tinged with concern. 

“Shane. I’m… I’m sorry. It’s late, I didn’t actually expect you to answer, I just… She asked me to leave and I didn’t want to be alone.” He looked up at Shane’s face, and the older man stepped back, letting Ryan come in. 

Ryan could tell he’d been asleep on the couch, which must have been why he had gotten to the door so quick. Ryan sat on the couch and pulled his knees to his chest. “Thanks. I’m sorry. I had a bad dream. And also… I’ve just really missed talking to you. I’m sorry for how we left things a couple weeks ago.”

Shane sat on the other side of the couch, laying his arm across the back of it. “I’ve been meaning to tell you that I’m sorry. I crossed the line when I came after you like that. That was… I’m sorry.”

“No, no. You were right. You know I hate admitting that,” he added with a small smile. 

“Of course I do. And of course I was right. But there were better ways for me to tell you than that.” Shane moved his hand and put it on Ryan’s shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Ryan got lost in Shane’s eyes for a split second before he nodded. 

“Let’s just go back to how we were?”

“Yeah, that sounds good, big guy.” 

_No, I need more than that._

“So tell me about this dream. You and I both know talking them out helps you.”

Ryan wrung his hands together, voice tinged with nervousness. He couldn’t bring himself to meet Shane’s eyes again. “It was you and me. It was night. We were together. And something big and dark with glowing red eyes came and took you away. You screamed, and I screamed, and I…” he looked back up at Shane. “It was bad.” He felt his heart race just at recalling the nightmare. 

“Well, it was just a dream. I’m still here.”

“We broke up.” Ryan bit his lips after he said it, he didn’t mean to. It just came out. 

“Oh. You did?”

“Well. No. Not quite. It’s going to happen though.”

“What happened?” Shane inched closer to his friend on the couch. 

Ryan put his head in his hands. “It’s embarrassing. You’ll never let me live it down.”

“Hey, Ryan. I promise. Whatever it is. I won’t give you grief. Ok?”

Ryan looked up and met his light brown eyes, and saw the rare sincerity there. He sighed. “I… I called your name. When I woke up. From my nightmare. I’ve done it before. Several times.” 

Shane seemed to not know how to respond to that. “Oh.” 

Ryan rubbed his eyes. “Yeah. It’s… I’ll leave if you want me to, I know, this is really awkward and -“

“Hey. It’s not a big deal, Ryan. It really isn’t.”

Ryan nodded and yawned. “Thanks, Shane.”

“No problem. Do you wanna stay here tonight? It’s late and you’re exhausted.”

_That’s a bad idea._ _Say no._

“Do you mind?”

_Idiot._

“Of course not. You can sleep on the couch, or, uh, if you don’t wanna be alone, my bed’s more than big enough. We’ve shared tighter quarters, after all.” 

_Say no. Say no._

“That would be nice, thank you.”

_Dumbass._

They went to Shane’s bedroom and lay down, not even bothering with the usual pillow wall between them. “Good night, Ryan. Go to sleep.”

“Night, Shane.” _I love you._

Ryan felt a hand tentatively rest on his wrist and smiled at the contact. 

_“I could be the one_

_to give you all I am._

_With a gentle touch_

_And a foolish love._

_You could be the one_

_To carry all my troubles away_

_With the words you say_

_All I need to hear.”_

Ryan jerked awake again. “Shane!” He sat upright in bed, breathing heavily, and confused. 

_Where am I? Right. Shane’s. Shane?_

He looked around and found the bed was empty. 

_It was just a dream_ . _He’s not really gone._

He knew that, but he couldn’t fight the panic rising as he made his way to the living room. “Shane?”

His friend was in the kitchen, pouring coffee in a mug and turned to smile at Ryan, just in time to be tackled in a hug. “Whoa, Ryan? Are you ok?”

Ryan nodded, burying his face in Shane’s shoulder. “I had another nightmare and I woke up and you weren’t there and -“

“I’m sorry. I didn’t want to wake you. It’s nine in the morning, so I guess it’s too late for you to go back to sleep. Coffee?”

Ryan pulled back and tried to compose himself. “Yeah. Coffee sounds good.”

Shane nodded. “Cream and sugar with just enough coffee to make it liquid, coming right up,” he teased. 

Ryan sat on a stool and watched his friend fix the drink. _Why do I love you so much?_ _It’s so dumb of me._ Then Shane turned and smiled at him. _Oh. That’s why._

Shane handed him the mug, their fingers brushing together for longer than strictly necessary, and it sent electricity up Ryan’s arm. “Thanks.”

“No problem. Do you need to talk about your dream again? Or something else?”

Ryan sipped his coffee. “I already told you about the dream.”

“How long have you been having it?”

He shrugged. “Since the Fight, I think.” He realized it sounded capitalized when he said it, but Shane didn’t comment on it. 

“Well, maybe now that we’ve made up it’ll stop. Right?”

Ryan nodded. “Maybe.”

“So don’t worry about it. Tell me about something else now. What locations have you been looking into for Unsolved?”

_You always know what to say._

_“Ignorance is torture_

_But your love is right._

_Tip to tip, a gentleman_

_Of the night._

_You feed my fascination_

_With your skin like silk._

_And I’m still filled with wonder,_

_You could fool me easily.”_

Ryan moved the rest of his stuff out of his girlfriend's apartment that day and called Shane. “Hey, um, do you wanna see a movie?”

“Of course. I’ll pick you up in a few?”

“Sounds good.” Ryan realized they hadn’t decided on a movie, but figured Shane wouldn’t lead him astray. 

True to his word, Shane was at his building less than twenty minutes later and Ryan cane to meet him. “Hey, do you know what movies are even playing?”

Shane nodded. “Yup.”

“Cool. What are the options?”

“Not saying.”

Ryan rolled his eyes. “Come on, man. You know I hate surprises.”

“Yup.” He wasn’t even fighting the mischievous grin on his face. 

Ryan just groaned, knowing better than to try and out-stubborn Shane. “You’d better be glad I trust you.”

“A horrible decision, really.”

He couldn’t help barking a short laugh. “Did you just quote ‘Tangled’ at me and think I wouldn’t notice?”

Shane smirked. “I knew you’d notice.”

Ryan grinned despite himself. _I don’t deserve you._

——-

After the movie they went back to Shane’s and planned on ordering a pizza. It had been a good movie, and Ryan has been right to trust him. They talked about it on the way to the apartment, and Shane held the door open for Ryan. 

“Very gentlemanly of you,” Ryan noted with a smile. 

“I’m always a gentleman.”

Ryan almost snorted. “I have video evidence proving that isn’t the case.”

Shane laughed and put his hands up as though in surrender. “Ok, you got me.”

He ordered the pizza as Ryan queued up Netflix. “The Dark Knight?”

“Always,” Shane replies without looking up. 

A while later, they were huddled on the couch watching Heath Ledger shoot Gary Oldman, and Ryan jumped slightly at the gunshot noise. He hadn’t realized how close he and Shane were sitting until he jerked and ended up leaning against Shane’s shoulder. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, looking up at him but not quite bringing himself to move. 

“Jumpy, are we? No, you don’t have to move if you don’t want to. I don’t mind, I’m done eating anyways.”

“I’d hope so,” Ryan joked, trying to bring levity to the suddenly serious situation. “You inhaled your half in record time.”

“What can I say,” the taller man said. “I’m a growing boy.”

“I hope not, I already feel like a Hobbit sitting next to you.”

Shane smiled almost evilly. “You like it, don’t lie.”

Ryan clammed up almost immediately and turned back to the movie. _Yeah but you didn’t have to point it out like that_ , he thought bitterly. 

“Ry, dude, I was joking.”

_Oh. Of course he is._

“Oh. Uh. Right. Yeah.” He laughed very unconvincingly. 

“What’s wrong?” Shane asked with real concern in his voice. 

Ryan looked back up at him, biting his lips. He opted not to say anything, instead gingerly resting his hand beside Shane’s, just close enough they were a hair’s breadth from touching. 

Shane finished the rest of the distance, covering Ryan’s comparatively small hand with his large one. 

Ryan noted that the skin of his hand was soft. _I wonder what the rest of his skin feels like,_ he thought. 

He turned his attention back to the screen reluctantly. 

“You know Christian Bale gained, like, three hundred pounds for Batman Begins?” Shane asked conversationally. 

“Mm, no.”

“I was - I was joking. It was actually only one hundred. Which is still a lot, though.”

Ryan smiled, enjoying hearing Shane’s random trivia. “That makes more sense.”

_“So lay here_

_And press up next to me_

_‘Cause we’ll be alright._

_We’ll be alright._

_But when we leave_

_I know it’s hard_

_’Cause it’s all we know_

_But we’ll be alright._

_We’ll be alright,_

_Right?”_

After the movie ended, Shane turned the tv off but didn’t move otherwise. They sat next to each other for a long moment before Ryan spoke up. 

“I guess I should get going?” He didn’t mean it to come out as a question. 

“No- I mean, you don’t have to. You can stay here again if you’re afraid of a nightmare.”

Ryan laughed bitterly. “Nightmares feel like all I know at this point. I’ll be ok alone.”

“Ryan.” 

Shane’s voice was so soft, Ryan couldn’t help but look up at him. He got lost in his warm eyes for a moment, but the feeling seemed to be mutual. 

“Stay?”

Somehow, Ryan knew Shane wasn’t just talking about one night. He was asking for a lot more. A lot of things that terrified Ryan. 

But also was everything Ryan had been wanting for a long time. 

He answered by leaning towards Shane’s face slowly, internally panicking about what would happen if he’d misread this, if Shane didn’t want this at all, if-

“Can I kiss you?”

Ryan’s brain short circuited, and he nodded, not trusting his voice for anything else. 

Shane’s lips were soft, tentative, and the kiss was chaste and quick. More of a slow peck, if Ryan were to be honest. 

“That wasn’t a kiss,” he couldn’t help tease. 

“I don’t wanna scare you off,” Shane shot back. 

“You couldn’t. I’ve wanted this too long.”

That seemed to stop Shane in his tracks. “You… you what?”

Ryan knit his brows together, confused and afraid that was the wrong thing to say. “I… I've had feelings for you for a long time. Is that ok?”

“But, your girlfriend? Dude you just had a break up this morning.”

Ryan winced. “Yeah. I know. I was trying to move on because I decided you must not have been into me. You hadn’t made any kind of move or -“

“I was scared! I’ve loved you for _years._ ” Shane’s tone was insistent. “I couldn’t lose you, though. I thought-“

“You love me?” Ryan asked incredulously. 

“ _Yes._ Since before Unsolved. Probably back to Test Friends. I thought you were straight.”

Ryan chuckled softly, and ran his hand through his hair. “I love you too, you big idiot.”

Shave smiled and kissed him again, deeper this time, and slower. Ryan almost melted at how sweet the contact was. Quickly the kiss went from sweet to something different as Shane pushed Ryan onto his back. 

“Whoa, easy there,” Ryan joked, feeling a flush rise to his face. 

Shane smiled down at him. “You’re gonna break your neck the way you were craning it.”

He kissed him again, and sure enough it was easier on his neck that he hadn’t even realized was starting to ache. Not to mention the way Shane’s hands slid under his shirt, and his lips parted for their tongues to meet, and Ryan realized that suddenly Shane was _everywhere._ It felt like every inch of his body had Shane pressed against it. He realized he didn’t mind, though, and tangled his fingers in Shane’s hair, humming softly. 

They pulled apart a short distance after a long time, and were both breathing heavily in the same space. Shane then moved down and kissed against Ryan’s neck, the stubble scratching the sensitive skin. “Fuck, Shane,” Ryan moaned. 

Shane hummed and continued whatever _wonderful_ thing he was doing to Ryan’s neck, and his hands pushed his shirt up even more to press against the smaller man’s tan stomach. 

Ryan made a noise low in his chest, pulling lightly on Shane’s hair. “Shane, we should… we should talk about this?”

Shane pulled back and met Ryan’s eye. “Do you want to stop?”

“Hell no, I just… I’m scared. I want to do this right.”

Shane nodded. “Me too. How slowly do you want to go?”

Ryan smirked. “I _want_ you to rail me like there’s no tomorrow so that I limp for a week.” He watched Shane’s face drain of color at that thought, and took pride in how dilated his pupils got. “But I _need_ us to go a little slower. Let’s say keep the pants on but everything else is fair game?”

Shane nodded. “Deal. As long as that means I can get this shirt off of you.” He didn’t wait for an answer, and tugged it over Ryan’s head before kissing his neck again and working down to his chest. When Shane’s searching tongue found his nipple, Ryan’s back arched reflexively and he groaned softly. 

“I _knew_ it.”

“Shut up, Shane.”

The taller man grinned evilly. “That kept going too long just to be a bit.”

“Well it _started_ as a bit. I didn’t know I had a weird nipple fetish at first.”

Shane smiled and put his mouth back on Ryan’s nipple, causing the smaller man’s hips to buck again. Shane moved his hands to grip Ryan’s waist to hold him still as he continued licking and scraping, careful not to be painful. 

“Oh my gosh, _Shane!_ ”

Shave smiled around the hard nub and moved to the other side, squeezing hard to keep Ryan’s hips from jerking. 

“Oh- Shane- stop!”

Shane pulled away immediately, leaving a string of saliva between Ryan’s chest and his lips and that _shouldn’t_ be hot but _shit_. 

“I think you need to stop now or else I’m gonna have to take my pants off and I already said I wouldn’t,” Ryan said breathlessly. 

Shane nodded. “I understand.” He pressed another kiss to Ryan’s lips. “I’m gonna explore every inch of your body at some point,” he practically growled into Ryan’s ear, and his bones felt like jelly at the sound. 

“Shit,” he whispered. Then, he had an idea and grabbed Shane’s hips, somehow flipping their positions so _he_ was on top of Shane. “My turn,” he said devilishly, and grinned at how Shane’s jaw dropped at being manhandled. 

Ryan pulled Shane’s shirt off and kissed him, his hands running over Shane’s body lightly. Shane groaned at the light touches and the deep kiss. 

Ryan’s tongue probed Shane’s mouth, and his fingers traced over every inch of the larger man’s chest. Shane’s hands had found their way to Ryan’s hips, and his thumbs settled into the deep V of his pelvis as though it were made with them in mind. 

“You’re more muscled than I thought,” Ryan said as his hands pressed against Shane’s abdomen. 

“Thanks, I think,” Shane answered. 

Ryan laughed and kissed him again. “I don’t know what I expected.” 

Ryan’s hands moved around to Shane’s back, and his hands were making their way down his spine when his breath caught. 

He pulled back to smile down at Shane. “You like that?”

“I guess so,” he murmured breathlessly. 

Ryan smiled and repeated the action, watching Shane’s eyes flutter closed as his breathing stuttered, and wow, that was _hot._

“Your back is sensitive to that. Noted.”

Shane smiled. “Maybe we should go on to bed, Ry. It’s getting late.”

Ryan considered it as he kissed into Shane’s mouth again. “I guess you’re right.”

“Of course I am. We can do more of this tomorrow.” 

Ryan nodded and stood, pulling Shane to his feet. “I don’t have anything to sleep in,” Ryan pointed out. 

Shane led him to his room, and pulled a pair of basketball shorts Ryan had never seen out of a drawer. “Try these on.” He pulled his own pajamas out of another drawer and went to the bathroom to change. 

Ryan watched him go, acting nonchalant as though he hadn’t just offered Ryan some of his clothes to sleep in. He shook the silly thoughts from his head, though, and changed into the shorts. A moment later, Shane returned, wearing a t-shirt and sweatpants. 

“They fit,” Ryan pointed out. 

“I see. Do you want a shirt?”

Ryan nodded. “If you don’t mind?”

Shane moved over to the drawers and dig through them for a moment. “Any preferences?”

Ryan walked to his side and looked, reaching for a t-shirt he recognized and knew would smell like Shane. He pulled it on and sat on the edge of the bed. “Thanks.”

Shane turned and walked into the younger man’s space. “No problem. I’m glad you’re here. I’m glad you’re wearing my clothes. I’m glad this is all real. Finally.” He kissed the top of Ryan’s head softly, and Ryan almost melted at the gentle touch. 

Soon after they were burrowed under the covers and Ryan was pillowed on Shane’s chest. “Good night, Shane.”

“Night Ryan. I love you.”

“Love you, too, big guy.”

Ryan didn’t have any nightmare that night. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! If you have a prompt or song rec I would LOVE to hear it! Comment on this or send me a message on tumblr at in-between-sleep-and-awake
> 
> I know I fixed the angst from the last one super quick, but I can only do so much angst, ok?


End file.
